Sustainable Tourism: Cross River shows example, as Carnival Calabar sets for 21st edition

From the awesome and cool peaks of the Obudu and Obanliku mountain range, to the depth of the enthralling national park that warehouses uncommon biodiversity, lush rainforests, the largest in Nigeria, waterfalls and to the cultural and historical sites that speak volumes on heritage, Cross River State is truly Nigeria’s premier tourism destination.

Yet, the exciting culture, the finest of African culinary delights and warmth from the very hospitable people, all combine to sell the state to visitors.

“You can’t beat the peace, safety and smiles on every face on the street. My most genuine encounters with people in my trips in Nigeria have always been in Cross River,” a British tourist confessed during the carnival last December.

Many visitors, from within and outside the country, have also said many good things about the state, especially its tourism offerings, cleanliness and pristine nature.

But the above points to the commitments to sustainable tourism practice despite mounting challenges, with Carnival Calabar as the most sustainable tourism product of the state.

With 20 successful editions to its credit, the state has truly sustained and grown the small festive outing into a world-class carnival, now unarguably the largest street party in Africa.

While Carnival Calabar’s two decades feat is commendable, the state is not relenting yet. It is rather riding on it to further boost and sustain the carnival and other tourism and cultural products that can impact the locals and state economy at large.

In view of the above, Bassey Edet Otu, governor of Cross River State, on May 31, 2026, kicked off the 21st edition of Carnival Calabar at a well-attended event in Lagos, where the carnival’s theme was unveiled to the public and stakeholders.

The governor was excited at unveiling the 2026 theme, which is “Rethinking Our Collective Destiny”, while emphasizing its relevance, especially in a time of economic uncertainty.

In view of the uncertainty, Governor Otu, at the unveiling, insisted that the carnival offers a platform for economic growth, cultural preservation, and tourism development.

That is where the rethinking aspect of the theme comes in as the carnival has grown beyond a yearly event to becoming an empowerment platform that supports many livelihoods across the state and beyond.

Speaking on the theme, Gab Onah, chairman, Cross River State Carnival Commission, who felt that the theme is timely, noted that it invites all, beyond the competing bands, to deeply reflect on something.

Explaining the rationale for choosing a theme for each carnival every year, Onah said that the theme is as a creative puzzle for participating bands to interpret through costumes, props, choreography, and artistic expression.

Like Hogan Eyom, a long-standing member of the Masta Blasta band said, this year’s theme seems simple but would be tough to interpret creatively.

“Rethinking Our Collective Destiny places huge responsibilities on band leaders, their creative directors and strategists to be more creative at using costumes, props, choreography, and artistic expressions to interpret the theme in a way the judges will find interesting and different from others,” Eyom said.

“For the interpretation to be good enough to win the best band of the 2026 carnival, any ambitious band has to engage a lot, from the social resonance angle, community engagement, the interface of culture and socio-economic development, among others”.

While the theme unveiling has kicked off Carnival Calabar 2026 and the 21st edition, there are many other exciting activities lined up from now as build-up to the main events in December.